The invention relates to a system for the galvanic deposition of metals, in particular aluminum, from aprotic, organo-aluminum electrolytes which are free of oxygen and of water, with an aluminum cell for goods in the form of wire, tubes, strips and the like which cell can be sealed from the exterior and which also can be supplied with a shield gas.
Electrolysis systems for the electroplating of goods in the form of wire strips are known in which the goods to be treated are conducted through an electroysis bath in perpendicular loops. For example, the German OS No. 15 21 076 discloses a device for the electroplating of a string of synthetic resin material wherein such string, to which a conductive coating has previously been applied, is conducted through an electrolysis bath in a plurality of loops with the aid of drive rollers and contacting rollers arranged above and guide rollers arranged below, where perpendicular anode plates arranged parrallel to the course of the string are provided in the electrolysis bath. A system of this kind is neither provided nor suitable for the galvanic deposition of aluminum since aluminization requires the use of an electrolyte which is produced under oxygen-free and water-free conditions and must be maintained under these conditions as far as is practically possible. Since the amount atmospheric oxygen and atmospheric moisture present is generally inversely proportional to the conductivity and life duration of these relatively costly electrolytes, air must be excluded to the maximum feasible extent from the electrolytic bath during the galvanic aluminization. Such a system must then be operated in a shield or inert gas atmosphere and the goods or material which are to be treated must be input and output via airlocks in order to suppress the entry of air and moisture to the electrolysis bath as far as possible.
Furthermore, the known systems can only process strip-like and string-like material which can be deflected (bent) even in the untreated state. However, there exist strip-like and string-like materials which must not be deflected in their untreated state, for example light waveguides.